Pity all those earnest folks who guzzle down a pricey bottle of fancy tea, hoping for a healthy dose of cancer-fighting "antioxidants" and "flavonoids."

This news is hard to swallow: Those drinkers would have to down up to 20 bottles of the stuff to get the same amount of beneficial substances found in a single cup of humble, home-brewed tea.

So says skeptical new research reported Monday by the American Chemical Society, touted as the first study to ever comprehensively measure the antioxidant levels in commercial bottled tea beverages.

"Someone would have to drink bottle after bottle of these teas in some cases to receive health benefits," said Rutgers University chemist Shiming Li, who analyzed 49 commercial samples and was surprised to find that the average 16-ounce bottle contained as little as 3 milligrams of polyphenols, a beneficial compound linked with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties.

"I was surprised at the low polyphenol content. I didn't expect it to be at such a low level," he added.

A simple cup of home-brewed green or black tea contains up to 150 milligrams. Mr. Li did not reveal the brands he tested in the project, conducted with WellGen, Inc., a biotechnology company in New Jersey.

But the swanky teas look so promising; one manufacturer promises consumers "an army of antioxidants" in each bottle. And that packaging. Bottles are typically gussied up with lush images of acai berries, herbs and exotic flavorings like mango, rose hips, jasmine or pomegranate — the darling of the genre.

Aside from what I get in restaurants, home-brewed tea is all I drink. Not for the health part but because it's way cheaper and there's no "funny" stuff in it. Also, I never drink sweetened tea.

Washinton Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/23/study-tea-brewed-at-home-healthiest/)

RobJohnson

08-25-2010, 01:29 PM

It's hard to find bottled tea here in the south that is not sweet or sugar free sweet. I don't care for either.
The route drivers don't even carry an unsweetend tea as it does not sell very well....